Elyas

Elyas follows a one-time Special Forces operative who has grown hypervigilant after a traumatic mission in Afghanistan. Hired to protect Amina and her 13-year-old daughter Nour during a family holiday visit from the Middle East, he takes up a quiet, watchful role at their side. As small oddities pile up and strangers linger, Elyas starts to piece together a pattern that makes him uneasy. The film keeps the stakes close to the characters, tracking his careful surveillance and the strain it puts on Amina, while letting tension build without revealing any major surprises.

Released in 2024, the film was directed by Florent-Emilio Siri and created by Nicolas Laquerrière. The cast is led by Roschdy Zem, with Laëtitia Eïdo, Nabil Elouahabi, Sherwan Haji, and Dimitri Storoge rounding out the principal roles.

Critical response has been mixed to positive, reflected in a vote average of 6.138 out of 10 from 145 votes. Reviewers have praised the controlled pacing and Zem’s restrained performance, while some critics wanted sharper plotting. Major themes include the lingering effects of combat-related trauma, the burden of responsibility, and the uneasy intersection of security and trust within immigrant experiences.

Though not widely discussed as a cultural phenomenon, Elyas prompted conversation about how veterans are portrayed on screen and about the anxieties faced by families arriving from conflict zones. Zem’s performance in particular drew attention for its subtlety, and the film has been noted in conversations about contemporary European thrillers that focus on character over spectacle.

Box office totals are not widely published, and there’s limited reporting on gross revenue. The film appears to have reached audiences primarily through selective theatrical showings and festival screenings rather than a broad commercial rollout.